What are skin lesions?
A skin lesion is any type of growth on your skin, an ulcer or sore, or a patch of skin that’s different from the surrounding skin, such as a discolored area. Some lesions develop from an infection caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, while others are due to allergies and health conditions.
What are the different types of skin lesions?
Dr. Roth examines the color, texture, size, shape, and location of each lesion, evaluating numerous qualities to identify the type of lesion and determine whether it’s benign or cancerous.
Acne, skin rashes, hives, and freckles are all types of lesions. There are too many different skin lesions to list them all, so here are a few examples:
- Moles
- Skin tags
- Lipomas
- Age spots or sun spots
- Seborrheic keratoses
- Dermatofibromas
- Epidermoid cysts
- Cherry angiomas
When should you worry about a mole?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that’s curable when caught early, but spreads to other parts of your body if it goes untreated. Although melanoma can appear as a new lesion on your skin, it often develops from an existing mole.
When cells in a mole begin to turn cancerous, you’ll see changes in the mole’s appearance. It’s important to regularly check your moles for changes based on the ABCDE guidelines:
- Asymmetry: one side of the mold doesn’t match the other
- Border: border has an irregular shape
- Color: cancerous moles may contain multiple colors
- Diameter: larger than a pencil eraser
- Evolving: mole’s appearance has changed in any way
When should a skin lesion be removed?
Lesions are always removed if there’s any chance they’re cancerous. You can also have a lesion removed when it’s unsightly and affects your appearance. In some cases, lesions are removed when they’re:
- Irritated by clothing
- Bleeding or itching
- Swollen or surrounded by inflammation
- Infectious
How are skin lesions treated?
Your treatment depends on the type of skin lesion. Acne, eczema, rashes, actinic keratoses, and a few other lesions may be treated with topical medications. Otherwise, the only way to treat a lesion is to have it removed. .
Dr. Roth has extensive experience in removing skin lesions using a variety of methods. Your lesion may be shaved off or eliminated with surgical excision, cryotherapy to freeze the lesion, or advanced lasers that heat cells until they’re destroyed.
If you’re worried about a lesion or need it removed, call Dr. Roth’s office today to schedule an appointment.
